Johann-Kern-Sternwarte Wertheim
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Johann-Kern-Sternwarte Wertheim stands in the Reicholzheim district of Wertheim, Germany, one of the country's largest privately run observatories open to the public.
About Johann-Kern-Sternwarte Wertheim
The observatory takes its name from Johann Kern (1895–1975), a farmer-astronomer who originally built it. The Johann-Kern-Sternwarte Wertheim am Main e.V. society was founded on 6 April 1978 to carry the site forward, and the rebuilt observatory reopened on 9 May 1981. At the time, it ranked as the second-largest society-owned private observatory in Germany, after one in Berlin.
Telescopes & research
Its main instrument is a 60cm (24-inch) Newtonian mirror telescope on an English mount with a 300cm focal length; the mirror was manufactured by Schott in Mainz, ground by Zeiss Jena, and installed in September 1964. A 2004 expansion added the Ernst-Sachs-Bau, a building with a retractable roof housing a 15cm telescope for solar and planetary observation. The main instrument sits beneath a 6-metre aluminium dome.
Location & getting there
The observatory is located at an elevation of 275 metres in the Reicholzheim district of Wertheim, Germany.
Visiting Johann-Kern-Sternwarte Wertheim
The observatory is made available to schools and youth groups. Check the official website for current opening times and how to arrange a visit before travelling.
See your named star from here
With a telescope this capable, staff can point it toward the exact coordinates of a named star during a visit. Find any star's right ascension and declination in the star catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check the official website and Google Maps for current times before you travel.
